Small-scale tomato paste processing

Tomato paste is a stable tomato product used in various food preparations. Producing it can be a good alternative during production peaks when market prices for fresh fruit are low. Locally developed procedures from Cambodia and Lao PDR contributed to the recommended process.

• Select good quality, larger defect-free, ripe red fruits.
• Wash thoroughly in clean water to remove debris.
• Slice fruit and remove seeds prior to blanching or the whole fruit can be blanched.
• Blanch fruit in boiling water for 5-10 minutes or fruit slices in steam for 30 minutes (blanching facilitates skin removal).
• Cool fruit in water for about 5-10 minutes, remove skin and scoop out the seeds (seeds impart a bitter taste).
• Homogenize fruit using a blender or a mortar and pestle. Whole fruit can be sliced to facilitate homogenizing.
• Extract juice using stainless steel sieve or meshed netting.
• Cook for 2-3 hours to concentrate the product. Stir using a wooden spoon to prevent the paste from sticking to the cooking pan. Add 2% salt during cooking when the product has thickened substantially, but still easily flows on paper. Continue cooking until the paste is sticky.
• Dispense the paste while still hot into sterilized glass bottles that have been soaked in boiling water for 20 minutes.
• Pasteurize bottles of paste in boiling water for 10-20 minutes.
• Cool the bottles before storage.